He received the long-awaited endorsement from U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the state's most powerful Democratic politician, just hours before the poll was released.

Steyer, who has invested heavily in South Carolina in his upstart bid that has won over black voters — who account for two-thirds of Democratic ballots cast — typically has been third in other recent S.C. polls.

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Sanders, the race's national front-runner, was third at 13 percent. Some recent polls have placed Sanders within the margin of error of tying Biden.

Sanders was shellacked in the 2016 S.C. presidential primary versus eventual nominee Hillary Clinton. His success in the other early-voting states this month should provide him enough momentum for Super Tuesday races next week without a top showing in South Carolina.

Twelve percent of voters said they were undecided days before the primary.

The Clemson poll, released a day after a nationally televised debate in Charleston, surveyed 650 likely S.C. Democratic primary voters from Feb. 17-25. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percent.

Coming Thursday

The final Post and Courier-Change Research poll of the S.C. 2020 Democratic presidential race will be released at noon Thursday. The Post and Courier and Change Research have released eight polls over the past year with each one showing former Vice President Joe Biden in the lead.

Andy Shain runs The Post and Courier's team based in South Carolina's capital city. He was editor of Free Times and has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Charlotte, Columbia and Myrtle Beach.